Loowatt

Globally, more people have a phone than a toilet. Over 700 children under age five die every day of diarrhoeal diseases due to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Loowatt has created an innovative, waterless and circular economy toilet system that flushes waste into removable containers, for communities without access to sewers. Waste is collected and processed into biogas and fertiliser.

TRANSFORM supported Loowatt’s team in Madagascar to develop a local brand, recruit a commercial manager and test sales routes. TRANSFORM also helped reposition their value proposition focussing on ‘sanitation for well-being’, flipping the focus toward sanitation solutions being a valuable ‘convenience’ rather than solely for health. Funding also tested the automation of processes, adopting a tuk tuk to transport waste and recruiting a logistics and operations lead. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Loowatt increased coverage by 200 percent and TRANSFORM provided support with the cost of additional personal protective equipment.

TRANSFORM is supporting the rollout of Loowatt’s waterless toilet technology among low-income townships in South Africa too. This will include testing the willingness to pay to upgrade sanitation experience and the development of a local brand for Loowatt South Africa. In addition, a private operator will be recruited to run operations locally, aiming to install 500 toilets in townships.